Package for dried fruit or the like.



No. 685,900. Patented Nov. 5, I90I. W. G. ANDERSON.

PACKAGE FDR DRIED FRUIT OR THE LIKE.

A nmionmea Feb. 27, 1901.

(No Model.)

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WILLIAM C. ANDERSON, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ANDERSON PRUNE DIPPER (30., OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, A CORPO- RATION OF OALIFORNIAI PACKAGE FOR DRIED FRUIT OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 68 5,900, dated November 5, 1901.

Application filed February 27,1901. Serial No. 49,089. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I,WILLIAM O. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, county of Santa Clara, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Packages for Dried Fruit or the Like; and Ihereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a package which is especially designed for containing dried fruits of any description, cofiee, or any dry material; and its object is to provide an economical and convenient package with means for forming packages of various sizes without increasing the diameter, means by which the fruit or other articles can be faced within the package, covers for both top and bottom of the package, the former being pro' vided with a centrally-located flap the pe- 2o riphery of which is made so that while it is air-tight as long as its integrity is preserved it is so formed. that it is easily frangible along the line of its periphery to allow it to be opened to obtain access to theinterior, one edge remaining intact and forming a flexible hinge about which it may be thereafter opened or closed. is an annular disk fitting the interior of the top and forming a space within which printed matter of any description may be placed, and the paraffin or other paper forming the top of the completed package is laid upon this annular disk. The facing layer of the fruit may then be placed upon this paper and the body of 5 the package can be fitted to the cover, after which the package itself may be filled with the fruit and the bottom or opposite cap or cover can be placed and sealed upon this end. The body is made of two thicknesses, the inner one extending sufficiently beyond the outer one to receive the covers, and these covers are of a thickness corresponding with that of the outer part of the body, so that when in place the whole package has a smooth exte- 5 rior surface'adapted to receive labels which extend from end to end.

My invention also comprises details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings,

5b in which In conjunction with thisthem in containing-packages of various 6o weights and in cartons or smaller packages forsample or exhibition purposes. It is the object of my invention to provide a cheap construction which will enable me to make packages of all the various dimensions by increasing or decreasing the length without varying the diameter, and the larger of these packages are designed to be multiples in length of the smaller ones, so that in making up cases of the goods a certain number of the smaller packages will be equal in length to one of the larger ones and the case can be symmetrically filled with packages of difierent dimensions. The construction is such that I am enabled to face the package, which means the symmetrical placing of the fruit in what would be the top layer when the package is opened, and to provide a means by which access may be had to the contents for inspection or other purpose without destroy- 8o .ing the case and the case afterward closed.

In order to make cheap containing-packages for this class of goods, it is desirable to use pasteboard or some equivalent material other than metal. In making such a case I first de- 8 5 termine a diameter which will enable me to place one, two, or more pounds of the fruit in the case, so that, for instance, one pound occupying the full diameter of the package will be approximately one-half the length of the package containing two pounds and a package containing two pounds will be approximately one-half the length of the pack age containing four pounds,and other weights in similar proportions, so that if a case is being made up it may be partly made up of fullweight packages, such as would ordinarily be sold, or it may be partially made up of the smaller weights, a number of which would equal in length the full-sized packages. In

making these packages the body is formed of inner and outer rings A and B of pasteboard or the like,suitably secured at the meeting edges, and the inner ring is sufficiently longer than the outer one to receive the covers 2 and 3, which fit upon the opposite ends and com iste the closing of the package. The thickness of the outer body portion Bis essentially equal to the thickness of the rims of the covers, so that when the latter are in place they form a smooth continuous surface with the body, which will allow labels to be smoothly placed upon the whole. The covers may be made in any desired quantities, and having the same diameter the bodies are made independently and of as many difierent lengths as the weight of packages may require. For small sample packages it is only necessary to make a single ring A of sufficient length to allow the two covers 2 and 3 to be placed upon opposite ends, the edges of the covers meeting centrally, and when a label is placed around this package it is complete. The covers are preferably hermetically sealed when the package has been filled and closed, so that air will be excluded.

The top cover or rim 2 has the fiat surface or end 4 indented or nearly cut through on a circular line 5, which is here shown as being concentric with the periphery and a short distance interior thereto. weakening of the end is continuous, except a small space 7 at one side, which is left complete, and this inner portion may have a loop or other attachment 6 opposite the hinge, so that by pulling upon the loop the inner cap or cover will be detached around the Weakened edges, and thus turned back about the hinged portion, so as to allow the interior of the package to be reached.

8 is an annular ring of pasteboard or other material fitting within the cover from the inside and resting against the outer cover. The interior cut-out portion of this ring is of smaller diameter than the hinged cap 4, previously referred to, so that after the latter has been once detached and opened this inner ring forms a ledge upon which the cap will rest when it is closed. Within the ring 8 is placed the disk 9, of paraffin paper or other equivalent flexible impermeable substance, which is designed to form thetop of the package.

The'fiange or rim 2 of the top cover is sufficiently deeper than the length of the part A of the body over which it fits so that the edge of the part A does not reach the top 4: of this cover when the latter is in place. The object of this is to provide for the facing, so called, of the fruit and to allow it to be done before the cover is put in place, as it would not be possible to doit properly through the full depth of the package. For this reason the cover is laid with its rim upwardly, and the disk 9 being in place the fruit, such as prunes or the like, is selected and laid in upon this disk until what will form the top This cutting or layer of the package has been completed within the cover and laid as symmetrically as desired. The body of the package is then put in place, the projecting flange or portion A extending into the cover, but not interfering with the facing which has already been placed in the cover. When the body is placed, it may be sealed by any suitable cement, so as to make a hermetically-tight joint with the cover. The body is then filled with the proper quantity of fruit to complete the package, and the opposite cover 3 is put on, being also hermetically sealed, and this then forms the bottom of the package. As the top cover is formed with the annular weakened line formed in its substance, it can be opened by fracturing this line without otherwise interfering with the cap or cover, which remains sealed upon the body portion, and the inner disk 9 can then be removed, so that access is obtained to the fruit through this opening. As this central portion of the cover remains hinged at one edge, it can always be closed down upon the annular ring 8 inside of it, which forms a support to keep it flush with the outer portion of the top.

The space formed within the ring and in-' terior to the cap serves to receive any printed matter that may be desired-such as directions for cooking, advertising matter, or any ornamental trade-mark or label which may be laid into this spacethe thickness of the ring being sufficient to admit it.

These packages may be made cylindrical, as here shown, or of any desired peripheral outline.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A package for dried fruit and the like, consisting of a central ring or body portion, and covers fitting over opposite ends thereof and having their peripheral rims flush and forming an unbroken exterior surface, one of said covers having a weakened line formed directly in the top and extending around the major portion of the cover and leaving a continuous or indented portion to form a hinge about which the cover may open.

2. A package for dried fruit and the like, consisting of a central ring or body portion, and covers fitting over opposite ends thereof and having their peripheral rims flush and forming an unbroken exterior surface, one of said covers having a weakened indented line extending but part way around it so as to leave an integral portion continuous with the cover to form a hinge, and a ledge below the indented portion of the cover and upon which the said portion is closable downwardly.

3. A package for dried fruit and the like, consisting of a body portion and covers fitting over opposite ends thereof, one of said covershaving a weakened line made continuous around it except at one side where the cover is not weakened but remains intact to form a hinge portion, an annular ring fitted too I go

within the cover from the inside and substantially in contact with the under side of the outer cover, and having a cut-out portion of less diameter than the weakened portion of the outer cover, and a piece of impermeable material. within the cover and adapted to form the top of the package, said cover being supported a sufficient distance above the top edge of the body portion to form a space for a facing layer of fruit.

4:. A package for dried fruit and the like consisting of a body portion, caps or covers fitting upon the ends thereof and flush with the outer diameter, a weakened circular line In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

- WILLIAM G. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

F. L. BURRELL, W. D. GAREY. 

